How Chinese hackers broke into the White House

When it comes to home security, few — if any — places in the world are safer than the White House. But, as it turns out, even the office and residence of the president of the United States of America needs to step up its computer security. It turns out that one of the building's computers fell victim to a cyberattack originating in China last week, although it appears that no sensitive information was actually stolen.

The attack was made against a single computer in the White House Military Office. It came in the form of "spear phishing," where an email purporting to be official contains links to — or attachments containing — malware. It's not clear whether White House personnel were actually fooled by the email, but a spokesperson told Politico that the system affected didn't contain any sensitive or classified information.

This breach of the White House's computer security should serve as a reminder that no one is immune to high-tech criminal activity. Now's as good a time as any to make sure you're up-to-speed on ways to safeguard your computer and home network — and even your mobile phone — against electronic ne'er-do-wells. Tecca can help, with information on securing your digital life, including how to prevent phishing, the type of attack that affected the White House.